Planning Mountain vacation and need help!

[a82allison]

Last year we went camping in North Carolina, near Boone and did a lot of hiking to waterfalls, gem mining, and visiting apple orchards and such. It was outstanding! I love love loved it.. and so did the kiddos. So, this year we wanted to go a little further out in NC and go to Cherokee to see the Ocanaluftee Indian Village and the Unto These Hills drama.
We also definitely want to go the The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and find some waterfalls and scenery and so forth.

We are going to be tent camping again (June) but I'm not sure what area I should be looking to stay in. Should we find a campground in Cherokee? Or what about Pigeon Forge area? or some other area in between??

We will be staying a week. My kids will be 5, 6, 6, and 12. I like seeing nature (not into the go-karts, mini-golf, fun house stuff), and visiting old places. We will probably try to do some river tubing somewhere also..

So, any ideas to help me out on where to have our "hub" located?

Allison

 

[rileyreese]

There are several campgrounds in Wears Valley, it also has tubing close. Wears Valley is right outside The Great Smokey Mountain National Park, there are also some caves in that area if that interest you.

Another option might be Occee, I think it is in NC. There is white water rafting and zip lines there and it is not far from Cherokee.

 

[Belle0101]

Last year we went camping in North Carolina, near Boone and did a lot of hiking to waterfalls, gem mining, and visiting apple orchards and such. It was outstanding! I love love loved it.. and so did the kiddos. So, this year we wanted to go a little further out in NC and go to Cherokee to see the Ocanaluftee Indian Village and the Unto These Hills drama.
We also definitely want to go the The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and find some waterfalls and scenery and so forth.

We are going to be tent camping again (June) but I'm not sure what area I should be looking to stay in. Should we find a campground in Cherokee? Or what about Pigeon Forge area? or some other area in between??

We will be staying a week. My kids will be 5, 6, 6, and 12. I like seeing nature (not into the go-karts, mini-golf, fun house stuff), and visiting old places. We will probably try to do some river tubing somewhere also..

So, any ideas to help me out on where to have our "hub" located?

Allison

We go to the Smokies twice a year, absolutely love it!!

Let me ask you a few questions before I offer any advice though.

When you tent camp, what kind of facilities are you looking to have?

Toward hiking, are you talking hours? What I'm trying to determine is the endurance of the little ones. I wouldn't want to suggest a 3 hour hike and have that totally exhaust the little ones. Although, they'd sleep good that night!

 

[a82allison]

We go to the Smokies twice a year, absolutely love it!!

Let me ask you a few questions before I offer any advice though.

When you tent camp, what kind of facilities are you looking to have?

Toward hiking, are you talking hours? What I'm trying to determine is the endurance of the little ones. I wouldn't want to suggest a 3 hour hike and have that totally exhaust the little ones. Although, they'd sleep good that night!

Camping facilities: running water, toilets, lots of trees, clean, would also *like* hot water and showers..but may be able to be convinced otherwise. ;-)

Waterfall hiking for 2 or 3 hours at most for a hike - moderate to difficult is fine.. kids did very well with it last year. (We did Linville, Crabtree, Bear Den, Grassy Creek, and another one that I'm blanking on the name of last year). We like the falls that we are able to get close to and stick our feet in a little, that makes the hike worth it for the little ones.

 

[rgoff]

I think you will like KOA in Cherokee. The campground offers alot for kids including tubing right along some of the campsites and is very friendly. The Town of Cherokee has a small river which kids swim in that runs through the town with picnic tables. Right next door is the entrance to the Smokey Mountains, then Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge which has the commerical things to do.